Rents outpace home values; U.S. cellular data usage grows 33x; election roundup; U.S. deploys forces to West Africa; Ukraine update
Ad Astra Podcast
September 13 2024
Good morning citizens of America. This is the Ad Astra Citizen Journal, daily brief for September 13, 2024 AD. I'm here to bring you the latest news headlines from around the world. Let's dive into today's top stories. In today's pod, we're tracking Rint's outpace home values, U.S. cellular data usage grows 33x election roundup, U.S. deploys forces to West Africa, and a Ukraine update. Rint outpaces home values. For the first time in a decade, rent and utilities are rising faster than home values. According to the 2023 American Community Survey, released yesterday, Rint grew by 3.8% last year, compared to a 1.8% rise in home values. This surge in Rint is putting even more pressure on people who can't afford to buy homes. The housing market continues to show widening disparities based on income and race, underscoring the ongoing affordability crisis. U.S. cellular data usage sores 33x. Here's a staggering statistic. Cellular data usage in the U.S. has grown 33 times since 2013. Last year, Americans transmitted over 100 trillion megabytes of data according to a report from the CTI. This has doubled the amount from 2021, illustrating just how dependent we've become on mobile connectivity. Election Roundup. Now for some election updates. Kamala Harris is facing a tough challenge with working class voters, particularly non-college-educated voters. A New York Times/CNN poll shows her trailing Donald Trump by 17 points among this demographic. For comparison, this deficit is far worse than Biden's 4-point gap in 2020. Meanwhile, Trump is pitching a new proposal. No federal taxes on overtime pay. This is part of his broader push to appeal to working class voters. Lastly, Trump has ruled out another debate with Kamala Harris following their recent clash in Philadelphia. U.S. deploys forces to West Africa in an effort to curb the advance of al-Qaeda and Islamic state militants. The U.S. has begun moving aircraft and commandos into West Africa. Following the loss of their base in Niger, American forces are repositioning in nearby countries like Benin and Ivory Coast to support counterinsurgency operations. The instability in the Sahel region has led to tens of thousands of deaths since 2017. And this new deployment is a critical move in preventing further militant gains. Friday, Ukraine update. Editors note, "I cover the Ukraine war every Friday and don't give equal coverage to the conflict in Israel, which is also taking a major human toll. The war in Ukraine is the largest land war in Europe since the end of World War II in 1945 and is a world historical event. Ukraine has, in many ways, become a proxy world war with the West, led by the United States, on one side in Russia, along with China, Iran, North Korea and others on the other. Furthermore, the war and sanctions have strained relationships between the West and the Global South, with China emerging as a major beneficiary of the conflict. I believe it will ultimately be resolved in the coming years, one way or another. In my view, the most likely outcome is a frozen conflict, similar to the situation between North and South Korea, where no formal peace treaty has been signed since the 1950s. If Western powers, led by the United States, decide to stop funding Ukraine, the war will come to an end. On the other hand, the conflict in Israel has roots stretching back to biblical times, beginning with Abraham in the Old Testament. It's a clash of civilizations that has been ongoing since Israel gained independence in 1948, and I believe it will continue through our lifetimes. Any talk of a lasting ceasefire seems unlikely to me. Given the demographic shifts and deep religious divisions in the region, I don't see a peaceful resolution to the Israeli conflict. I hope I am wrong. That's why I devote more of my coverage to a war I believe can be solved, rather than to a war I believe cannot be. And now, for your weekly update on the war in Ukraine, Russian forces are closing in on Pokrovsk, a key city in eastern Ukraine. If Russia captures it, they would gain significant logistical control over the Donbas region, cutting off vital supply lines to Ukrainian forces. Despite ongoing Ukrainian counterattacks, Russia seems to have the upper hand in this critical area. This summer saw both sides launching fresh offensives. Ukraine's surprise attack in Kursk and August bolstered its morale, but Russia's dominance in the East remains strong. The situation is dire, and the war continues to escalate. On this day in 1993, a pivotal moment in Middle Eastern history took place when the Israel-Palestine Peace Accord, known as the Oslo Accords, was signed. This historic agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, was intended to lay the groundwork for a peaceful resolution to the long-standing conflict between the two sides, while the agreement raised hopes for peace at the time. The road ahead has proven difficult, with ongoing tensions and conflicts that continue to this day. This event serves as a reminder of the complexities surrounding efforts to resolve deep-rooted conflicts and how even historic agreements can face immense challenges in achieving lasting peace. That's all for today's brief. Join us again tomorrow for more news and updates. This show was produced by Greg Loving, wishing you a great day ahead. Please follow and rate us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps other listeners find us. Stay informed and add Astra-Pra-Aspra. [Music] [Music] [BLANK_AUDIO]